We kick off proceedings with the third instalment of Oddisee's season-themed mixtape series "Odd Winter". This time around Oddisee has blessed us with a half instrumental tape half underground guest emcee tape featuring the likes of X.O who forms one third along with Oddisee of the Washington DC based group Diamond District, the very impressive Stik Figa, NY's Homeboy Sandman and Tranqill from the UK.
The mixtape opens with City Life which is the first of two joints featuring Tranqill. Oddisee has created a track that takes the listener travelling through the inner city in the middle of winter via the safety of a car while surveying the scene’s Tranqill describes in his verse. Tranqills gruff UK accent compliments the beat and creates a track that could describe a city on either side of the Atlantic. The other standout emcee collaboration for me is Riiight featuring Stik Figa out of Kansas, not exactly known as hot bed for emcee's. Oddisee provides a hard hitting drum beat as the backbone as stik figa spits nonstop for over two minutes dropping metaphor after metaphor without missing a beat. I'll assume it's a written verse but wouldn't be surprised if it was off the top of the dome. A track that's worthy of the rewind button.
Of the instrumental tracks the standout for me is the third track Winds from the North . The track starts with a violin arrangement that reminded me of the my days in Scotland and walking against the winter wind's coming off the North Sea. The violin combined with the drum programming had me reaching for my winter coat during the middle of the Australian summer. The other big track for me was Carry On with its piano licks and soul vocal sample gracing the track. I was adamant that I'd heard this track before and was correct as Oddisee had produced this one for Kenn Starr's Starr Status album which was released on Half Tooth Records in 2006, check out youtube link below for the vocal track.
Odd Winter finishes as it started with another appearance from Tranqill and the pair create another track that captures the bleaker images of a harsh Northern Hemisphere Winter. I wonder if we will be blessed with a whole album release from this pairing??
Click here for Oddisee's Odd Winter mixtape
The other standout mixtape from the last week was DTMD or Dunc & Toine Makin Dollas with The Basics. DTMD are a emcee & producer duo out of Washington DC who have released one of the freshest mixtape/EP's I've heard in a while. Obviously some people will avoid this group just because they have chosen to name themselves after the legendary EPMD but I see it as a tribute to EPMD and a statement that they are creating music that will hopefully have the longevity of EPMD. Time will tell on that one but from early showings they definitely have a solid product - Dunc has crafted some solid beats whilst also showing off some of his record collection and Toine seems effortless when flowing over the beats with intelligent rhymes that ask the listener to use their mind. Hip Hop to my ears.
I thoroughly enjoyed every track on this EP but must mention the standout tracks Champion featuring Tier Zero (see the youtube link below). This track opens the album nicely with the three emcee's verbally murdering Dunc's mid tempo instrumental. Above the Clouds again allows Toine to showcase is lyrical ability over a guitar and piano laced Dunc beat dropping lines like "Something told me to follow my dreams/And I was tired of the blunt passing/Worlds Clashing/Settling for people who aren't really feeling my passion/I knew I had to go another place/I was on my way to being another face". The track is explaining how they have reached this point in their career and some of the sacrifices to achieve this, whilst encouraging others in a similar position to do the same.
All in all this The Basics is a breath of fresh air from some of the current releases out there but will it be able to float to the surface in a crowded sea of independent hip hop????
Click here for DTMD's The Basic mixtape
